I used to have contempt for the materialism and would not participate in it much and would just visit family who would celebrate it. Taking this view I saw how it is a problem when we forget the spirit the holy day is supposed to be, why the whole industrial-commerce world shuts down for this one day.
If ones dont let the branches get in the way of the root, if ones and ones see through the gifts of life and to the giver of giver and all lifes gifts it can be good.
I also love playing sports since youth and in Ethiopia Christmas is Gena. Gena is a field hockey game. Tradition says when shepherds hear from the Angel Gabriel that JAH is to be born in flesh that night as Lord and Savior on Earth they rejoiced and invented/played gena all night long celebrating, having a Irie time!
A Ras took I to a Ethiopia Tewehedo Christmas eve vigil on Jan 7th which is the day of Gena (Ethiopia's Christ-mas). The people were every man woman and child were friendly and welcoming even though I wasn't wearing the all white attire of Ethiopia culture and was a outsider but made a insider by their love! (By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John13:35)
We dont need to speak the same language to pray together, still I understood a few Amharic words that are often used in Rastafari culture such as these in the link here:
http://www.rastafarispeaks.com/repatriation/index.cgi?md=read;id=34990
All night long....It was like 2:30 in the morning and people were standing sitting, praying singing, blessing one another, incense, children sleeping everywhere in the temple as Angles flew around with the thanks and praise and ancient drum beats
This was totally spiritual experience and this is what is lacking in the commercial hijacking of something that is holy attempting to make us all forget
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